Becoming an F1 driver means that one is already one of the most popular athletes in the world. They have millions of followers on social media who follow their every step, and the drivers could be called influencers of sorts. Away from the track, however, Daniel Ricciardo insists that Mercedes’ George Russell would be the best social media influencer out of everyone else on the grid.
Ricciardo and Russell are two of the most popular figures in F1. The latter lost out on his McLaren seat at the end of the 2022 season and will spend the season as a third driver at Red Bull. He is one of the most marketable athletes out there, so Red Bull made him a big part of their launch event in New York earlier this month.
Meet the #RB19 🤘 Our car for the 2023 #F1 season 💪 pic.twitter.com/ilCfMQMxW4
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 3, 2023
After the car launch, Ricciardo was part of a segment where he was naming one F1 driver who was most likely to do a particular thing. Ricciardo feels that Norris would most likely be the driver who forgets his passport at home, whereas he would most likely be crying during a sad movie.
Daniel Ricciardo on why George Russell would be good a good social media influencer
When the host of the segment asked Ricciardo who the best social media influencer would be, Ricciardo did not waste time in saying it would be Russell. He even laughed while taking his name, and said, “He’s already got it dialed, topless! He loves it.”
Russell was already one of the most talented young drivers on the grid. He made his F1 debut back in 2019 with Williams but could not show his full potential because of a slower car at his disposal. However, his move to a bigger team was seen as an inevitability and when Mercedes signed him in 2022, people were hardly surprised.
“Quem é mais provável de se tornar um influenciador nas redes sociais?”
Daniel: *risos* George Russell. Ele já tem isso planejado. Sem camisa. Ele ama isso. pic.twitter.com/1Oljcxu80B
— jurídico 63 (@juridico63) February 7, 2023
Russell could not challenge for the world title in his debut season for the Silver Arrows. However, he impressed everyone by finishing ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton as he aims to compete for the championship for the first time ever in 2023.
Also read: Mika Hakkinen Was Once Petrified While Nico Rosberg Drove His $2 Million McLaren P1
Ricciardo at peace with not driving in F1
When Ricciardo lost his F1 seat in 2022, his fans were heartbroken. The Aussie could not land a seat elsewhere at a top team so he decided to return to Red Bull as a third driver.
At the time, he was sad about not being in F1 this season, but now he has come to terms with it. The Perth-born driver admits that being on the sidelines will do him good this season, and he is looking forward to helping the team in tests.
However, Ricciardo is also glad that he is getting to spend time away from being a full-time driver and did not comment on when he plans on returning.
